Japanese carriers bump up surcharge
Japanese carriers All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines have increased the fuel surcharge on their Bangkok-Tokyo routes from US$43 to $83 (Bt3,100) per flight, effective from last Sunday.
ANA and JAL's fuel surcharge is now far higher than that of Thai Airways International, which is charging $46 for the same route. Rising oil prices were cited as the main reason for the increase. However, another factor to be considered is that Japanese carriers are buying oil directly from the US market, which is normally more expensive than the Singapore market, where THAI purchases its fuel. Regardless, ticket prices of all three airlines on the Bangkok-Tokyo route remain very similar. Meanwhile, ANA yesterday announced a change in the departure time of flight NH954 from Bangkok to Tokyo from 10pm to 7.55am, effective from October 31. The airline said the change was designed to meet morning demand and shorten the wait of transit passengers. Kimiya Arima, ANA's general manager for Thailand and Burma, said the number of passengers on the route was expected to increase 10-20 per cent thanks to the more comfortable morning time slot. ANA has also announced it will commence a Tokyo-Chicago route, its fifth US destination, on October 29. The airline is also to establish routes to Hawaii and Guam. Arrivals from Japan currently account for 10 per cent of Thailand's inbound tourism, with 1.2 million Japanese visiting the Kingdom in 2005. Thais visiting Japan numbered 127,000 for the same period.
Suchat Sritama The Nation
|
